Electric-furnace process of making low-carbon metals or alloys.



PATENTED JULY 2, 1907.

F. M. BECKET. ELECTRIC FURNACE PROCESS OF MAKING LOW CARBON METALS OR ALLOYS APPLICATION IEILED JAN.30, 1906.

, expensive, non-carbonaceous reducing agents, such as takes place is dependent chiefly on the amount of surface of electrode carbon exposed to the action of the U ITED STATES.

PATENT oFFIoE.

FREDERIoK M. BEoKET, or NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR To E EoTRo METALLU GIGAL ooMPANY, A ooRPoRATIoN or WEST VIRGINIA.

ELECTRIC-FURNACE PROCESS Application filed January 30. 1906. Qerial No. 298,623.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK M. Bscxn'r, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Niagara Falls, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric-F urnace Processes of Making Low-Carbon Metals or Alloys, of which the, following is a specification. I

There are many metals and alloys of industrial importance which can only be successfully produced in the electric furnace, owing to the high temperature required for their reduction and complete fusion; and the control of the carbon content of these metals presents one of the most difiicult problems in the art of electronretallurgy. Tungsten, titanium, molybdenum, chromium, vanadium, and their alloys, are some of the metals of this class, the chief applications of which products require that they contain a very low percentage of carbon. I

For the production of well-fused metals or alloys of low-carbon content in the electric furnace, relatively aluminium or silicon, are usually employed. The reduced metals nevertheless contain an undesirable proportion of'carbon, derived from the carbon electrodes. The extent to which this contamination by carbon molten charge, and is frequently sufficient to prohibit the commercial use of the metal.

This invention has for its object an improvement in the method of manufacturing low-carbon metals in electric furnaces in which the current is conducted to and from the charge by carbon or graphite electrodes.

The process contemplates the use of electrodes of yery small sectional area, in proportion to the current which they carry, as compared to those generally employed The sectional area of electrodes must be so proportioned as to prevent their being unduly heated by the electric current which they carry, the carbon beingrapidly attacked and oxidized by the furnace Specification of Letters P ttent.

. cooling all or a substantialpart of gases and atmospheric oxygen when raised to a high temperature.

To enable the electrodes to carry currents of the high density requisite for my process, 1 both cool the electrodes throughout a considerable portion of their length and protect them from the superficial action of gases.

Suitable apparatus for carrying out the process is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure l isa vertical longitudinal section of a smelting furnace, showing two depending electrodes and their cooling jackets; and Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section of a furnace showing an electrode provided with two superposed cooling jackets.

OF MAKING LOW-CARBON METALS OR ALLOYS.

Patented July 2, 1907.

i The furnace shown comprises a floor and sides 1 and a roof 2 of fire-brick. In the roof are two vertical openings 3 through which pass the cooling jackets i, preferablyof iron, which in turn receive the electrodes 5, 6 of opposite polarity. To the upper end of each jacket are connected pipes 7, 8, carried by a bracket 9 which is adjustably mounted on a vertical rod 10. The pipes 7, 8 serve both as a means for adjustably supporting the jackets 4 independently of the furnace-roof and electrodes and for the supply and discharge of water or other cooling medium.

Fig. 2 shows a modified construction in which the electrode is provided with two superposed cooling jackets 3, 3. The lower jacket is clamped within a ring 11 which is carried by arms 12 adjustably supported at their outer ends upon vertical rods 10. The up- 7 0 per jacket is preferably split longitudinally on the line l3 and the two sections areclamped together by the ring 14.

When the electrodes are short or the charge may be smelted at a comparatively low temperature, a single cooling jacket upon each electrode is sufficient, with long electrodes or in the case of operations requiring high temperatures, two or more jackets are preferably employed. It is desirable that the jackets should fit closely upon the electrodes, to facilitate the cooling, but that they should be freely adjustable upon the electrodes and within the furnace. By thus effectively the electrodes, irrespective of the variations in their length, it is possible to employ unusually high current densities, especially with graphite electrodes, which are preferably employed on account of their high electrical conductivity. The surface ofcarbon exposed to the action of the molten charge is thus greatly reduced and it is possible to produce metals or alloys, for examplethoroughly fused tungsten, chromium, ferro-vanadium and ferrotitanium, of considerably lower carbon content than by the present methods.

For the production of ferro-alloys, the charge may consist of more of the metal to be reduced, carbon and a source of iron, either iron ore or pieces of metallic iron.

I claim 1. The process of producing low-carbon metals or alloys, which consists in smelting the charge by an electric current of high density, carried by a carbon electrode of rel atively small sectional area,-and cooling said electrode throughout a considerable portion of its length, as set forth.

2. The process of producing l0w-carbon metals or alloys} which consists in smelting the charge by an electric current of high density/carried by a carbon electrode of rel atively small sectional area, and cooling said electrode and protecting it from oxidation throughout a considerable portion of its length, as set forth;

3. Theprocess of producing low-carbon ferro-alloys,

sectional area, and cooling said electrode and protecting 1 it from oxidation throughout a considerable portion 01' its length, as set forth.

In testimony whereof, I aifix niy signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK M. BECKET. Witnesses:

CHAS. M. SAxAn, R. L. MACDONALD. 

